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TCC Torque Converter Shudder Chuggle Solution


twowheelheather

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Our 1998 Deville with 133k miles began exhibiting chuggle/shudder on light throttle climbing hills. Typically, the RPMs would be around 1600-1850, and you could feel a shudder and the RPMs seemed to vary 50-100 rpm twice a second or so. Kicking out the TCC by stepping on the brake, shifting down with throttle or gear selector would stop the shudder. We decided that it was probably the TCC slipping, locking/unlocking.

As a fix, we drained and filled the transmission using the method where a hose is hooked to the transmission line hookup on the driver side upper radiator. About 6.5 quarts of fluid pumped out before bubbles started to appear in the line, at which point we cut the motor off and refilled the transmission with Mobil 1 synthetic ATF. We did notice that there was a small piece of debris in the flared end of the transmission line, although I don’t know where it came from.

Hooked it all back up, and haven’t felt the TCC shudder since. Fixed? I don’t know, but it’s definitely better.

If anyone has thoughts on the TCC shudder / chuggle hunting, and why it might occur, we’d love to read about them.

Oh, and what happened to the Guru, and where did all his posts go? He put out a tremendous amount of good information (especially on transmissions). PM me with the response if we're not supposed to talk about it here.

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Have the TCC replaced. it makes the tranny torque convrter lock/unlock. If it fails, then it feels like you forgot to press the clutch on a std shift.. or it will shudder when it tries to lock/unlock at the speed it is set to lock up.. the TCC saves you gas by locking up the Torque converter. The part is cheap.. the labor is not.

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Fatboy16, thanks for the advice, but I think we'll wait on the open heart surgery until we know what the problem is. Besides, I hear when the TCC fails, all that happens is gas mileage drop and a little warmer transmission.

I looked at that stutter post, Ranger, a lot of good information. Seems like just changing out 6.5 qts. of fluid helped the problem, so it's probably not wires (we're on our second set now, anyway).

Thanks for all the good information!

If that did not fix it, here is a thread on a similar problem I had.

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...&hl=Stutter

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If you are looking for a good suggestion for the health of your transmission, you might consider a conventional transmission service. Drop the pan and clean out the pan and oil pump screen. You've already flushed the fluid but I wouldn't put any back in once it's been drained to get the pan off. This should be done every 30,000 miles or so (check your owner's manual).

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Thanks, you're probably right! We did a full pan & filters at around 90k, but it's probably a good time to do it again.

If you are looking for a good suggestion for the health of your transmission, you might consider a conventional transmission service. Drop the pan and clean out the pan and oil pump screen. You've already flushed the fluid but I wouldn't put any back in once it's been drained to get the pan off. This should be done every 30,000 miles or so (check your owner's manual).

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A pan drop with filter change couldn't hurt.

Severe service schedule calls for 50k mile transmission fluid changes. What they call "normal" driving never indicates a change. Indeed, my '97 is still on its original fluid. Runs like a dream. These are normally very high quality and very durable transmissions.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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Wow, still on the original fluid? That's great!

We made the mistake of following dealer advice for a transmission

flush at around 30k miles, and have regretted it ever since. I don't

know if that contributed to the problems we're having now, or not.

50k later at about 85k, we did a pan drop and filter/magnet clean out.

Regardless, the 6.5 quarts of new fluid did help the problem (although

I noticed it slightly last night), so a pan drop and filters in the

spring with pure Mobil synthetic ATF is probably called for.

Thanks for the input!

A pan drop with filter change couldn't hurt.

Severe service schedule calls for 50k mile transmission fluid changes. What they call "normal" driving never indicates a change. Indeed, my '97 is still on its original fluid. Runs like a dream. These are normally very high quality and very durable transmissions.

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twowheelheather,

You are not the first person I have heard say that they had problems after a flush. Just confirms what the old Guru always advised.

Be advised that there are no filters in the 4T80E pan. There are two reusable screens that can be cleaned if needed. The "filter" is deep in the trans and is only accessable and replaced during an overhaul.

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Our 1998 Deville with 133k miles began exhibiting chuggle/shudder on light throttle climbing hills. Typically, the RPMs would be around 1600-1850, and you could feel a shudder and the RPMs seemed to vary 50-100 rpm twice a second or so. Kicking out the TCC by stepping on the brake, shifting down with throttle or gear selector would stop the shudder. We decided that it was probably the TCC slipping, locking/unlocking.

As a fix, we drained and filled the transmission using the method where a hose is hooked to the transmission line hookup on the driver side upper radiator. About 6.5 quarts of fluid pumped out before bubbles started to appear in the line, at which point we cut the motor off and refilled the transmission with Mobil 1 synthetic ATF. We did notice that there was a small piece of debris in the flared end of the transmission line, although I don’t know where it came from.

Hooked it all back up, and haven’t felt the TCC shudder since. Fixed? I don’t know, but it’s definitely better.

If anyone has thoughts on the TCC shudder / chuggle hunting, and why it might occur, we’d love to read about them.

Oh, and what happened to the Guru, and where did all his posts go? He put out a tremendous amount of good information (especially on transmissions). PM me with the response if we're not supposed to talk about it here.

I think the fluid change was appropriate. I am not normally an additive man, but I have had good luck with Lucas' trans treatment in conjunction with fluid and filter changes. For 8 bucks, it is worth a try. On her Mustang, my daughter described the chuggle as like driving over some railroad tracks, pretty severe, and it has been gone for over 25,000 miles now. Almost time to change fluid again.

Jim in Phoenix

Jim in Phoenix

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